Circuit modules comprise a carrier surface with components mounted thereon. A testing apparatus for these modules comprises a magazine for hosting a row of circuit modules. The row is pushed into a gripper of a pickup mechanism by means of a press-on member. As a consequence, the orientation of the magazine can be horizontal. The gripper removes the gripped modules in a direction in line with the row. The press-on member preferably comprises a rotatable press-on plate which rotates along with the row of modules if it starts to fan out, but at the same time pushes the row back so that significant fanning is prevented.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An apparatus for testing circuit modules each comprising a carrier surface with components mounted thereon, which apparatus is provided with: a magazine for accommodating a row of circuit modules with the carrier surfaces onto each other; a pickup mechanism for separating an individual circuit module from the row for connecting the individual circuit module to test terminals for performing a functional test on the individual circuit module; a press-on member for pressing on the row in a direction towards the pickup mechanism, the press-on member exerting a press-on force on the carrier surface of a circuit module at an end of the row in the magazine.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magazine is disposed such that a normal to the carrier surfaces of the modules in the row is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the force of gravity.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pickup mechanism is provided with a gripper and is arranged to position the gripper, during pickup, relative to the magazine, such that a further circuit module at a further end of the row is pushed into the gripper by the press-on force.
4. An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the pickup mechanism is arranged to move the further module gripped in the gripper, away from the row in a direction having at least a component in line with the row.
5. An apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the gripper comprises a yoke against which the press-on force pushes up the further circuit, the yoke including a recess, such that only of the further circuit module only opposed edge portions of the carrier surface on which no components are arranged are pushed up against the yoke.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein on the yoke movable gripper jaws are mounted which are arranged, after the further circuit module has been pushed against the yoke, to move towards each other to embrace at least the edge portions of the carrier surface.
7. An apparatus according to claim 3 , for testing circuit modules which include a notch in each of the edge portions, wherein the gripper includes cams to engage in the notches.
8. An apparatus according to claim 3 , provided with an energizable clamping device for clamping opposed edges of the carrier surface of one or more of the circuit modules at the further end of the row next to the further circuit module, the apparatus being arranged to energize the claming device at least when the gripper is not in front of the magazine and to release the clamping device during a period of the time when the gripper is in front of the magazine.
9. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the press-on member comprises a plate for transmitting a press-on force onto the carrier surface of the circuit module at the end of the row, the plate being rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the carrier surface of the circuit modules at the end of the row.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 , for testing circuit modules having a notch in an edge of the carrier surface, wherein the magazine comprises a guide profile for guiding the circuit modules in the row by their notch over the guide profile, while the rotation axis makes an angle of substantially ninety degrees with said edge of the carrier surface of the modules in the row.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein a distance between the rotation axis and the guide profile is less than a distance between the rotation axis and a surface of the press-on plate which comes into contact with the circuit module at the end of the row.
12. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the press-on member is adapted to be swung clear out of the magazine and to be swung back again into a portion of the magazine upstream of the row and is adapted to be slideable relative to the row.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the press-on member comprises an energization which, when the press-on member is being swung clear, is de-energized and, after the press-on member has been swung back in again, gradually builds up the press-on force over a time interval of at least 1 second.
14. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magazine comprises a press-on space with side profiles for guiding side notches in the circuit modules of the row and at most one bottom profile for guiding a notch in a lower side of the circuit modules and wherein the magazine comprises a loading space which via a transition zone continues into the press-on space, wherein a bottom of the magazine in the loading space comprises more than one guide profile for respective notches at the lower side of the circuit modules, and wherein the loading space does not comprise any side profiles.
15. An apparatus according to claim 1 , arranged for picking up and testing circuit modules which are memory modules for PC's.
16. A method for testing circuit modules, wherein use is made of the apparatus according to claim 1 .
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 20, 2002
September 13, 2005
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